{"id":36228,"date":"2017-05-02T09:55:44","date_gmt":"2017-05-02T12:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=36228"},"modified":"2018-09-18T08:24:58","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T11:24:58","slug":"alemao-residents-show-their-strength-during-public-meeting-on-police-occupation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=36228","title":{"rendered":"Alem\u00e3o Residents Show Their Strength During Public Meeting on Police Occupation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

On April 24, a public meeting was held at the Rio Public Defenders Office<\/a> with the title “Houses Invaded, Lives Violated and Other Police Abuses in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>.” The meeting focused on police invasions of residents\u2019 houses<\/a>\u2013to be used as police bases\u2013and went on to cover the larger debate around arbitrary and violent police<\/a> actions experienced in the favela.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given the current tensions in the favela, the atmosphere of the meeting was highly intense<\/a>, emotionally charged and at times combative, despite efforts of the panel to moderate. The panel included representatives from the Public Defenders\u2019 Office, the Human Rights Committee of the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly, the Public Security and Health Secretariats and leaders of the Pacifying Police Units (UPPs)<\/a>, as well as representatives from social movements within Complexo do Alem\u00e3o. The initial aim of the meeting was a conciliatory one\u2013to open up a channel of dialogue between residents and police. State representative\u00a0Marcelo Freixo<\/a>, in his role as president of the Rio Legislative Assembly\u2019s Human Rights Commission<\/a>, stated that \u201cWe need to stop wanting to know which side [the residents or the police] has the higher body count<\/a>. There\u2019s no winner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/a><\/p>\n

People shouted from the audience in response to Freixo\u2019s attempt to create a mutual identification among both police and residents as equal victims of the same failed public security policies: \u201cBut there <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>a side A and a side B!\u201d Incidentally there was a spatial division in the room: the uniformed policemen present, numbering around 30, sat together on one side while residents, carrying placards, occupied the other half of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe police talk about the war on\u00a0drugs, but really it\u2019s a war on\u00a0residents<\/a>. Stray bullets only hit residents. The police enter the favela and use people\u2019s houses as bases. They kicked an elderly couple out of their house violently, peed on a resident\u2019s television, stole a child\u2019s yoghurt while pointing a gun at her and saying ‘If you don\u2019t shut up, I\u2019ll make you shut you up.’ I\u2019m not defending criminals, but no drug dealer has ever thrown people out of their houses like this,\u201d said Cleonice Madalena, Alem\u00e3o resident and volunteer for the FavelArte project. Pastor Jorge Felix spoke about having to move to a different favela: \u201cMy house became a strategic point for the Military Police, which uses my roof space<\/a> as a place for handing over shifts. They claim that these are\u00a0war conditions and they have permission from their superiors to be there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Residents<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

From the panel, Lieutenant Colonel Marcos Borges, UPP sub-captain, tried to justify the invasion of houses in the <\/span>Pra\u00e7a do Samba area as a temporary measure, given the lack of a military base for police to use to protect themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA house in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o has to be respected just as much as a house in Leblon [in Rio\u2019s wealthy South Zone],\u201d said Freixo.<\/span><\/p>\n

The establishment of UPP bases in Alem\u00e3o has caused controversy before: previous locations used as UPP bases have included part of the grounds of a school and a sports ground. These actions have restricted children\u2019s access to education and leisure, illustrating the hierarchal nature of public policies created by the State: such basic services are subordinate to police needs<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"One<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the occupied houses in Alem\u00e3o have been occupied since January, but the recent history of terror in Alem\u00e3o can be traced back to the occupations of 2010, when the armed forces invaded the favela complex and the Military Police hoisted a flag at the top of the cable car network as a symbol of a takeover of territory. Panelist Raull Santiago, activist from the collective Juntos pelo Complexo<\/a> (Together for the Complexo) said that \u201cThese operations function through the logic of fear. In 2010 they came with a different kind of discourse and repeated the mistake\u2013or maybe it was intentional\u2013and reaffirmed\u00a0policing as the only type of public policy that reaches the favela. Police were sent to prevent the reoccupation of the little Skol favela<\/a>, but today the police occupy three homes\u00a0at the top of Alvorada and nobody\u00a0talks about [the right to] property, because property belonging to poor people is worth nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ever since UPPs were first installed in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o, the same story has been repeating itself: in recent weeks, just as in 2014 and 2015, the reality for residents has consisted of a high number of deaths resulting from police operations, followed by protests for peace and mobilization on social networks, as well as events like this public meeting, which recommended the end of the UPP presence in the community. The meeting ended with a lot of tension and the exchanging of accusations. This often repeated story does however go back a long way: as shown by a video at the beginning of the public meeting, this is the fruit of a way of thinking of security policy as a war between victims and villains. The video showed a timeline of police operations in the favela, reminding those present of the policies that predominated in the 1990s, like awarding bonuses to police for engaging in shootouts that resulted in deaths and continuing up to the 2010 occupation, reinforcing an idea that was repeated by several residents during the public meeting: \u201cThe State normalizes death,\u201d especially the deaths of poor, black people and those\u00a0living on\u00a0the city’s periphery.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRather than getting the police out of our homes, what we want most is to save people\u2019s lives,\u201d said Alan Brum, Alem\u00e3o resident and activist from the NGO Ra\u00edzes em Movimento<\/a> (Roots in Movement). In this vein, the meeting went on to remember some of those who have lost their lives or their liberty during the ongoing conflict in Alem\u00e3o. Lots of the residents, after taking the mic, began by shouting \u201cEduardo, present!\u201d or “Freedom for Rafael Braga<\/a>,”\u00a0as a way of honoring such people. Terezinha, the mother of Eduardo [the ten-year-old boy shot by police in 2015<\/a>], used her opportunity to speak\u00a0to reiterate the community\u2019s lack of confidence in the police.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dalva, another mother whose son was killed by police in Borel favela<\/a>, said that the criminalization of the favela<\/a> means that \u201cthe war is not against drugs, but against people.\u201d Raull spoke of other police killings: \u201cBruno died when he was shot in his home, Gustavo when he was going to work<\/a>. Today marks one year since the funeral of Shrek, the moto-taxi driver. The police opened fire on him before asking questions, a typical police response.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The absence of Rio;s governor or a representative of the State government\u2019s office\u2013responsible for public security policies and the management of the Military Police\u2013did not go unnoticed. Other notable absences included representatives from the secretariats of education and culture\u2013entities which are essential for thinking of a human and integrated approach to public policy in favelas. Another notable absence was that of Rio Mayor\u00a0Marcelo Crivella<\/a>, since some of the actions of the mayor\u2019s office, such as recently proposed infrastructure projects, could mitigate or reinforce a feeling of insecurity. \u201cI wish Crivella could show up here for me to ask him if, as well as bullet-proofing schools, he\u2019s also going to bullet-proof our houses or even our children, since they are fired on while on their way to school. This is a cheap form of demagogy,\u201d Cleonice said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The main source of disagreement during the meeting started when a policeman asked to take the mic to refute some residents\u2019 accusations of a genocidal police force. \u201cIn a war, we need to choose a side,\u201d he said, defending the idea that, since residents are learning how to film police actions (a right guaranteed by the law) they should also film drug dealers\u2019 action. His comment was met with hisses from the audience, with some audience members shouting that they weren\u2019t there to do the job of the police. The policeman\u2019s commentary also showed a certain insensitivity on his part, since he was essentially asking residents to place their safety and physical integrity at\u00a0risk by proposing they position themselves face to face with drug traffickers. Filming the police and filming traffickers shouldn\u2019t be seen as equal activities, since filming police activity should not be seen as a risk if residents are working within the law and the police have a mandate to protect citizens. Accusations thrown around during the meeting included \u201cassassins\u201d [for the police] and \u201caccomplices of traffickers\u201d [for the residents].<\/span><\/p>\n

When members of the police left the room, this was also followed by the media (heavily present for the meeting) making their exit too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Captain<\/a>At a moment when residents were taking the mic to tell their experiences, all cameras and microphones were turned to Captain\u00a0Zuma, head of the Alem\u00e3o UPP, who was showing photos of armed traffickers, while insisting that only one previously-abandoned house had been occupied by police, even though the Public Defenders\u2019 Office has identified at least five occupied houses. In an attempt to justify the occupation, Zuma claimed that in the Pra\u00e7a\u00a0do Samba area \u201cthere was a large marijuana selling point\u201d and several abandoned houses, riddled with bullets. He claimed to have put his career at risk to protect the life of his colleagues, who were being attacked by traffickers and avoided answering a question repeated by lots residents in attendance: \u201cWere you acting within the law?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The residents recount a different version of events, vouched for by Dr. L\u00edvia Casseres, representative of the Public Defenders\u2019 office on the panel. She told of how in January the Defense Nucleus of the Public Defenders\u2019 Office was sought out by families that claimed to have had padlocks to their homes broken and accused the police of constantly using their roof space. Aerial images and the presence of household appliances suggest that the houses in the area were not lying abandoned and, even if they were, Brazilian law does not allow them to be occupied. At the end of the public meeting, the Public Defenders\u2019 Office recommended that the police stop the occupation and damages be paid to victims, including for damaged electrical appliances.<\/span><\/p>\n

Residents argued that the sub-captain of the UPPs in Alem\u00e3o be arrested, since he had admitted that the house occupations took place\u2013which is against the law. Lieutenant Colonel Marcos said that the UPPs\u2019 aim to \u201cpromote peace and preserve life\u201d had to be abandoned. \u201cThe rise\u00a0of criminality required a change in attitude,\u201d he said. Marcos agreed with Zuma\u2019s claim that the occupation of residents\u2019 houses was to protect the police. The police are already preparing to leave the houses but\u2013surprisingly, considering the way they took over the houses in the first place\u2013this needs to be done in a planned way. \u201cWe were going to leave the houses today, but it rained a lot over the weekend,\u201d was the justification given at the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcos said that the police force have a committee to reevaluate the future of UPPs and to deal with police abuses. On hearing this Mariluce Mari\u00e1, coordinator of FavelArte, retorted \u201cIs it in this committee that you lot decide if we live or die, colonel? If so let me know where this committee takes place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea that residents can be expected to denounce police actions <\/span>to the police themselves<\/span><\/i> is a bit illogical, given the lack of confidence the community has in the police to carry out an investigation, or due to fear that denunciation would lead to police retaliation. One of the residents on the line-up to speak, whose house had been occupied by the police, backed out of speaking, due to the police presence at the meeting. Leonardo Souza, an Alem\u00e3o resident and activist in Ocupa Alem\u00e3o<\/a>, questioned the police\u2019s presence at the public meeting: \u201cFor me, the presence of the police in a meeting where the police is being accused of breaking the law only leads to one thing: coercion of residents.\u201d In his opinion, the public meeting should not serve a conciliatory function, but should instead provide a space for making allegations: \u201cWeapons and drugs come into Alem\u00e3o because of police corruption.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mariluce<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Frans\u00e9rgio Goulart, activist from the Youth Forum<\/a>\u00a0said that nothing had happened after other public meetings of a similar nature in 2015 and 2016<\/a>. \u201cThe only change is that the number of deaths is now higher,\u201d Raull added. \u201cThese meetings are not resolving anything, but there is one positive aspect which is that it provides a therapeutic space. The community comes here and yells and shouts and the police have to sit quietly and listen to us. You\u2019re not going to kill me here,\u201d said Frans\u00e9rgio.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the public meeting was taking place, the Facebook page of the Coletivo Papo Reto<\/a> (Straight Talk Collective) denounced the presence of Military Police and BOPE<\/a> (Special Operations Battalion) in Alem\u00e3o\u2013alleging that they had closed one of the main streets in Alvorada in order to construct a police base. The ensuing police operation resulted in two police officers being shot, one resident being killed and at least one house occupied by police. The resident who was killed, 13-year-old Paulo Henrique, is another name to add to the list of recent victims, which includes 17-year-old Gustavo and 22-year-old Bruno, killed on Friday April 21, and Dona Bernadete, 68 years old, who fell from her roof, frightened by a shootout.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Children<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

On the day after the public meeting, residents organized a march with the theme of \u201cFavela Lives Matter.\u201d On the same day, more than 4,000 children went without school due to a police operation, that killed another young resident, Felipe Farias. On Thursday April 27, shootouts on the street caused teachers to run to bring children inside school buildings while they were on their way to school\u2013an event which backs up a criticism made during the public meeting that many police operations take place at the\u00a0same time as children are arriving at and leaving school<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just after the public meeting, Mariluce asked her friends on Facebook “If you could, would you leave the community?<\/a>“\u2013to which the vast majority of commenters replied explaining their affection for their community, while at the same time saying they\u2019d either already left or\u00a0they would leave if they had the opportunity, due to the difficulties they experienced from the feeling of insecurity and a lack of trust in institutions. Some people disagreed. For example, Elilton Moreira commented saying \u201cI will never give in to this failed state with its murderous and corrupt police.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the public meeting, some residents said they were scared to leave, given the police presence at the entrance of the building and at home too, since they\u2019d been hearing via social media<\/a> that shootouts were taking place at that moment in Alem\u00e3o. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Police<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the recommendations made by residents during the meeting included: the end of police operations during periods where lots of people are on the street; the end of the use\u00a0of heavily armored vehicles and arbitrary searches of residents; house occupations only when preceded by a search warrant<\/a>; the removal of police officers under investigation of police killings alleged to be in self-defense; the construction of a memorial for the victims of police violence and the end of judicial complicity with police violence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite some doubts about the meeting\u2019s conciliatory aims, it was effective in attracting the attention of large media organizations<\/a> to police abuses taking place in Alem\u00e3o, and succeeded in getting a public (and therefore open to scrutiny) promise from the sub-captain of the UPP to remove police from occupied houses before the following Tuesday (a promise that residents alleged had not been honored on Thursday). And on Friday\u00a0April 28, in a historic ruling, judge Roseli Nalin ruled in favor of the Public Defenders Office\u2019s recommendation that police leave the occupied houses immediately. As well as all this, the public meeting showed the political strength of a group of residents who will not keep quiet in the face of police violence and that gets organized to film, denounce and claim their rights.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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